Lasting weight loss requires work and dedication and cannot be achieved overnight. Despite the ads and magazines touting the latest miracle diets, you're also unlikely to look like your favorite movie star or model, simply because everybody is different and genetics are a part of the equation. While there aren't any miracle tips on achieving the perfect number on the scale, certain lifestyle changes can make a world of difference.
Liquid Calories Can Ruin a Diet
You would probably think twice about eating a 500-calorie dessert if you're on a diet, but a 16-ounce Starbucks Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha drink has 470 calories. Aside from Starbucks specialty coffees, other beverages such as fruit juices, sodas, and sport and energy drinks are high in calories, sugar and fats. Alcohol is also high in carbohydrates and the calories it contains eventually cause belly fat, according to HealthCastle.com. So learn to read labels and only drink calorie-free drinks.
There Are No Miracle Fixes
No pills, product or fitness or diet gimmick will get you fit in a week. Anything that promises miracle results in just a couple of days is either a lie or dangerous. While you might be able to lose a substantial amount of pounds on your first week on a diet, the truth is that large numbers usually indicate water loss, rather than fat loss. To burn fat, you need to work out harder.
You Have to Exercise
Exercise is essential to help you burn fat, but even more importantly to ensure that you will keep the weight off, says TheDietChannel.com. Thirty minutes a day of exercise will help. You can even choose to split those 30 minutes into three parts if you're short on time and can't afford to spend half an hour at once. According to TheDietChannel.com, both aerobic exercise and weight training are important, since increased muscle tissue helps to speed up metabolism and the rate at which you burn fat.
Keeping a Diary is Key
If you've been exercising but not seeing results, or if you hit a plateau, keep a food diary for a week. Write down everything you eat, as well as the times you eat and the mood you're in while eating. Keep track of physical activity, both in the form of exercise at the gym or at home, and any other activity you're doing, such as walking to work or shoveling snow. After a week, evaluate where you might be slipping and what changes you need to make.
Eating Out Should Be the Exception, Not the Rule
You can still go out and have dinner or lunch with friends or on a date, but try eating at home most of the time. Bring your own lunch to work as well. It's hard to keep track of how many calories you're eating at the local restaurant. Also, you don't really know how much added fat or sugar is in the dish you selected when eating out. Stay away from the vending machine as well; bring healthy snacks with you when you're on the go such as nuts, yogurts or fruit.
You Cannot Spot Reduce
You can't drop weight from your stomach, gluts or arms without also losing it somewhere else. Exercises such as crunches will help tone a certain area of your body, but they won't reduce its size or burn the fat accumulated there, according to FitWatch.com. The only way for a part of your body to get smaller is for you to lose overall weight.
Skipping Meals is Not a Good Diet Strategy
When you skip a meal or fast, your metabolism actually slows down to compensate for the lack of calories and to conserve energy, according to CaloriesPerHour.com. On the other hand, eating small meals frequently controls hunger and keeps your energy steady. This way you are less likely to suffer from cravings or an energy low that can make it difficult to work out.
Never Eat for Emotional Reasons
If you tend to overeat or eat only one specific food group when you're stressed, tired or depressed, work on changing those habits. Deep emotional issues may need the help of a counselor or therapist, but you can also try replacing bad habits with healthier ones. For example, every time stress hits, go for a walk or get a massage instead of reaching for a bag of chips.
Portion Control is Essential
Learning to count calories is great, but most people don't have the time or the patience to keep track of everything they eat. If you're in that group, focus instead on portion size. Avoid anything extra large, super size or maxi at restaurants. If the meal is big, split it in half and take it home for the next day. You won't waste food or money and you'll be eating a more reasonable amount.
Weight Loss is a Lifelong Commitment
Extreme diets that promise weight loss quickly and easily rarely work. And when they do work, the results are only temporary. FitWatch.com says that if you change your eating and exercise habits rather than putting yourself through a painful diet, you'll have a better chance at keeping the weight off.
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